1. Community
  2. Skin and nails
  3. Dermatology

Essential oils for chilblains

Posted , 5 users are following.

jen84177
jen84177

Hi, everyone,

I wanted to share a home remedy for these awful toe demons that I've discovered after years of desperation. I've been on nifedipine since I was diagnosed 5+ years ago. It made them all but disappear, and I thought I was in the clear--until I moved to a colder climate and they returned with a vengeance. To offset the damage of the frigid mountains, I discovered peppermint oil and rosemary oil. 100 percent pure oils can be bought in health food stores/natural markets. Apply liberally to the affected area 2x per day (just mix 8-10 drops of each together in a cup and apply with your fingers, but WASH your hands thoroughly after).

I usually don't recommend home remedies, because mileage may vary depending on your body, but seriously, the results were almost immediate. Within 24 hours, the duration and intensity of attacks went down by 50 percent; within 48, the swelling went down and my toes were back to a very flushed red rather than sausage-y and almost purple.

These oils are recommended for two different kinds of circulation issues; peppermint works on acute pain and discomfort while rosemary is often recommended for long term vasodilatory therapy and healthy blood flow.

Warning: your fingers/toes will tingle and get warm and "burny" the first few times you apply it until your body adjusts, and those around you will gripe about everything smelling like an Italian market at Christmas time. But, I swear by this stuff. I hope this can help someone out there!

2 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Jan999
    Jan999 jen84177

    Posted

    Thanks for that jen it's really interesting. I suffer from chilblains and have done for 50 years (l am 62) so I'll definitely give this a try. 
    • jen84177
      jen84177 Jan999

      Posted

      You're welcome, Matron. I hope it can provide you some relief. 50 years is way too long to be plagued by these itchy buggers!
  • HappyAg
    HappyAg jen84177

    Posted

    I usually don’t register for forums but this post was too important to not reply to. My foot doctor prescribed a Nifedipine compounded cream (way too pricey) that was totally ineffective for my chilblains condition which I’ve been battling for about five years, mostly affecting toes on my right foot. I gave it the 2X/day treatment as advised for about two weeks and in desperation for the maddening itch, found this forum, and this post. The essential oils sounded innocuous enough, easily sourced and cheap compared to the Rx. I’m on my third day of using it. About three hours after the first application, I told my wife (paraphrasing) in all my adult years with various minor ailments I’ve never found a remedy that was so obviously effective, and so fast that I was truly astonished. Now, a couple days into it, not only has the burning itch subsided but my toes are actually looking more like normal. 

    I bought a small medicine bottle and have the 50/50 mixture ready to go, I found applying it liberally with a Q-tip totally not messy, easy and fast. There is an interesting tingling as jen mentions but not anywhere on the scale of discomfort as the chilblains themselves. If it holds it will make winters much easier to deal with. Because this treatment is such a natural homespun remedy I think it needs more exposure and encouragement to try out for those that suffer with this. Like tinnitus, folks who don’t experience it can’t imagine how it can degrade one’s quality of life. 

    Thank you SO much for posting your find, it’s made a world of difference for me.

  • tony91881
    tony91881 jen84177

    Posted

    Sorry if I've already replied to this, my memory's kinda poor.  I'm definitely going to give this a try Jen, thanks for the tip.

    Re previous posts I've made on this subject, I've stopped having bone broth.  I recently had a blood test and my PSA is too high, as a result of which I've gone vegan.  It occurred to me that bone broth might be contaminated with glyphosate, believed (outside the USA at least) to be implicated in prostate cancer.  All animal foods can be a source of reproductive hormones too and prostate cancers are hormone sensitive.

    Anyway, that's good news for cows and chickens - good luck to them.  Thanks again Jen.

  • tony91881
    tony91881 jen84177

    Posted

    Jen the rosemary oil I bought doesn't have a strong rosemary smell, does your's?  Maybe I should take it back and get some from another source.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.